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The Wide Game: Creating and Exploiting Space

By John O'Brien June 17, 2010 11:48 pmJune 17, 2010 11:48 pm

John O’Brien

John O’Brien played professionally with Ajax Amsterdam and for the United States in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.

Every sports enthusiast knows the importance of available space. A player all alone in space should get the ball. A player marked tightly should move to the right or left where there is more space. In soccer creating space for one of your 10 other teammates is at the core for offensive movement and teamwork. So, what is the best way to create space? Leave where you are right now! If you’re on a couch, in a chair, or standing on a pier leave where you are and that space opens up for others to exploit.

This brings us to the two different philosophies in regard to attacking down the flanks of the soccer field. One philosophy says that wide space is vital and so we are going to put someone there. From this wide position an attacker can be isolated against one defender: an advantage. After beating that one defender the attacker serves in a cross and the other defenders who are either facing their own goal or who at best are perpendicular to it will have a hard time defending: advantage attackers.

The other philosophy says wide space is vital so we are going to leave it open to be exploited. Either forwards, wide midfielders, or wide defenders can make runs into this space receive the ball and serve in crosses. If the first philosophy’s formation is a 4-3-3 with 3 attackers, one center and one on each flank or wing, the second is 4-4-2 with 2 more centrally located attackers. This is, of course, all theory. In practice, ideally, a team switches between both, sometimes occupying the wide space and sometimes leaving it open for exploitation.

Recently, a lot of right-footed players have been placed on the left wing and left footers on the right wing. Lionel Messi, Arjen Robben, and Andres Iniesta are all examples of this. Not only are these attackers able to dribble inside and take a shot with their favorite foot, but they also have an advantage when dribbling by their opponent to the end line to serve in a cross.

I remember during my playing days listening in as the great Danish winger Brian Laudrup explained this to his understudy Jesper Gronkjaer at Ajax. He said defenders guard in front of wherever the ball is. If the ball is on the left foot they will be more to the left, on the right foot more to the right. So, as a right winger in putting the ball on your left foot the defender will move a half-step left, giving you, the attacker, a half-step advantage when you want to take off to the right. This half step is often enough of a head start to allow the attacker to get to the end line to swing in a cross.

With the United States now playing two teams that will sit back, Slovenia and Algeria, they will need to have a good wide game. In the 2002 World Cup many important goals came from good crosses. Tony Sanneh served a brilliant ball to Brian McBride against Portugal for the third goal, and Eddie Lewis to Landon Donovon for the second goal against Mexico.

So who will provide the wide game for the U.S. this time around? If the lineup stays the same Steve Cherundolo is the only starter who truly plays like a wide player. His counterpart at left back, Carlos Bocanegra, is likely to drift forward and assist with some passing, but will not be looking to dribble by players, get to the end line, and serve in a cross. Both Donovon and Clint Dempsy are decent candidates for this role, yet they both tend to migrate from the wide position towards the center of the field, closer to the goal, closer to scoring positions.

Of course, crossing the ball is not the end all of this game. With the heavy influence of British soccer in this country the “get it down to the end line and swing in a cross” advice seems a little too free flowing. The opposite, technical play in tight spaces through the middle of the field is often the most amazing to watch. The U.S., however, in these next few games will need a good dose of wide play. Whether it is through philosophy one or two, for the U.S. to win, either Donovon, Dempsey or the natural born wide player, Demarcus Beasley, will need to stretch the defenses, exploit the space and serve in some crosses the forwards can put in the back of the net.

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Goal, The New York Times soccer blog, will report on news and features from the world of soccer and around the Web. Times editors and reporters will follow international tournaments and provide analysis of games. There will be interviews with players, coaches and notable soccer fans, as well as a weekly blog column by Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore. Readers can discuss Major League Soccer, foreign leagues and other issues with fellow soccer fans.